Trolley-track.



P. L. HOFFMAN.

TROLLEY TRAGK.

APPLIOATION FILED IEB.Z4, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

In 2/?22 i021 affixes/sa YHE NORRIS PETERS 00.. PHOTO-LITHO. WASHING rON. D. C.

PETER L. HOFFMAN, 0F AURORA, ILLINOI FACTURING COMPANY, OF AURORA, I

S, ASSIGNOR TO RICHARDS-WILGOX MANU- LLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TROLLEY-TRACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial N 0. 820,642.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER L. HOFFMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Tracks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs.

This invention relates to improvements in trolley tracks designed more particularly for use in connection with wheeled door-hangers but which may be advantageously employed for other purposes where an overhead track is used for supporting and guiding a wheeled carriage. I

The object of the invention is to construct a strong and durable track-rail that can be readily and cheaply formed from a single strip of sheet-metal, which object I accomplish as illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly specified hereinafter.

That which I believe to be new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a rail section embodying my improvements; Fig. l is a perspective view of a cylindrical plug employed to join together two adjacent sections of the rail; Fig. 2 is a front view of the end portions of two of the rail sections in position to be joined together; Fig. 3 is a ver tical section taken at line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is also a vertical section, but taken at line 44 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings: A indicates as a whole a section of my improved rail, the track-rail proper together with the attaching portion being formed from a strip of sheet metal of suitable width. Each rail-section A comprises as essential portions an upper vertical wall member a adapted to be secured to a building wall B or other support, an outwardly-extending intermediate member 6, and a hollow lower member'c which latter constitutes the trackrail proper. For the purpose of securing the greatest amount of strength such rail member a is best made in substantially cylindrical form. So shaping the rail-member also adapts it to fit the usual grooved trolley-wheels employed in door-hanger and other overhead wheeled-carriage devices. One such wheel is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and marked C. Bending the metal strip to provide the intermediate outstandlng member Z2 insures the location of the rail member 0 far enough away from the building wall or other support B to permit the proper hanging of a door by a hanger suspended from the rail so that the door will be clear of such wall. As clearly shown n the drawings the hollow rail member 0 is formed by turning the lower portion of the metal strip outward, upward and then inward so that the edge of the metal rests against, or substantially against, the face of the intermediate member 6, with the result that the weight of the door or other ar:

ticle that is borne by the rail will cause such free edge to bear firmly against the face of said member 6, thereby preserving the shape of the rail at all times so that the trolley-wheels employed in connection therewlth will fit the rail and move freely thereon.

While separate braces or brackets might, of course, be employed to hold the rail proper at the required distance from the wall or other support B I have found it cheaper and more satisfactory in every way to make them integral parts of the device, and, I do that by suitably cutting at intervals that portion of the metal strip that forms the intermediate member 6 to provide pleces adapted to be bent back away from the member 6 whereby are formed braces (Z of sufiicient length to permit their turned outer ends 6 to rest against the wall or support B, to which they are to be secured by screws or in any other suitable manner.

To make a continuous track of any desired length the required number of sections A will be secured in place end to end and in order to hold the rail member in perfect alinement and insure good joints between the rails of adjacent sections I insert a cylindrical plug f in the open end of one rail, a portion of such plug being left projecting so that the next rail may be fitted thereupon; see Fig. 2. To insure the plugs not being driven or forced too far into a rail 0 I form a slight projection 9 extending into the hollow rail a short distance from the end of the rail. Such projection can be made by the use of a punch, or otherwise.

The device described, made from a single strip of sheet-metal, can be formed very readily and cheaply, can be quickly put in place, and when in use will form a strong B to protect the track and the door-hanger that runs thereon, such hoods or guards being commonly employed in out door S ll 1134f:

t ions. It "will be understood, however, that under some conditions of use such hoods orguards need not be employed. i

What I "claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. A trolley-track formed of asingle strip of sheet metal and comprising an upper member adapted to be secured to' a support, an intermediate outwardly-extending member, and a hollow railmember, the lower edge of the said sheet metal strip being over and in close proximity to the said intermediate mem'ber, whereby it may bear against and receive support from the said: intermediate member when downward pressure is applied to the rail. 2. A trolley-trackformed of a singlestrip of sheet-metal and comprising an upper member adapted to be secured to a support,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for Q v r 1,130,820

an intermediate outwardly-extending memher, a rail member at the lower part of said outwardly-extending member, and a brace formed of a piece cut from the'strip'except at its end adjacent to the rail member, said brace having its free end portion turned to present one face thereof to the said support.

3. A trolley-track formed of a single strip of sheet-metal and comprising an upper member adapted to be secured to a support, an intermediate outwardly-extending memher, a 'ho'llow'rail member, and a brace formed of a piece partly cut away from said outwardly-extending 'member. V

L. In a vdoor hanger support, the combination of a metallic plate composed of a vertical Web providing a bearing against the wall, an integral, outwardly extending track.

portion, the edge of which is rolled inwardly to provide a convex bearing for a Wheel, and a tongue struck outfrom said vertical web and serving as a wall attaching device.

' PETER L. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses: v C. SUTPHEN,

RALPH BARNUM.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 1 r 

